Summer of Sewing: Dino Balls Quilt

During our Summer of Sewing series, we'll be featuring weekly tutorials using our new fabric collections (and giveaways, too!). Join us each week, sit back, relax, and then start sewing! 

This week's tutorial features our new Lost World dinosaur collection. If you haven't seen this collection yet, check out our blog post here (and be sure to download the free twin-size quilt pattern--it's adorable!). Our tutorial today is a smaller quilt--just 47" square--that can be assembled quickly and easily. It's perfect for a new baby or toddler gift!

Let's get started!
You'll Need:
1/4 yard (or fat quarter) of each of 8 Lost World prints
3/4 yard blue egg print (includes binding)
1/4 yard each 4 coordinating Painter's Palette Solids (121-003 Pencil Yellow, 121-067 Christmas Red, 121-151 Grape, and 121-164 Jolly)
1 yard allover dino print
3 yards backing fabric
54" piece of batting

Cutting: 
From each of the 1/4 yard cuts:
(4) 6-1/2" squares

From the blue egg print:
(4) 6-1/2" squares
(5) 2-1/4" x 42" strips for binding
(4) 2" x 42" strips

From each of the 4 solids:
(36) 2-1/2" squares

From the allover dino print:
(3) 4-1/2" x 36" lengthwise strips
(4) 4-1/2" x 28" widthwise strips
Note: Be sure to cut in this order--this allows the directional print to be oriented correctly in the border as shown in our quilt.

Your cut squares will look like this...time to get started! 

Make the Quilt:
Step 1: Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of a green 2-1/2" square. Position it on the upper left corner of a 6-1/2" dino square as shown. 

Step 2: Stitch on the drawn line, trim seam allowance to 1/4", and press open. 

Timesaver tip: If you don't want to draw lines on all of the 2-1/2" squares, you can position a piece of masking or painter's tape that aligns with your sewing machine needle. Then simply align the smaller square on the larger one, and position so the needle is touching the small square corner on one end, and so the opposite small square corner aligns with the tape edge. Stitch, keeping the small square corner aligned with the tape edge. No line drawing needed! 

Step 3: Repeat on remaining 3 corners, using a different color in each corner as shown.

Note: When you press the corners open, press opposite corner seams in opposite directions (below, the yellow and red corners are pressed in toward the center, while the green and purple corners are pressed out toward the corner. This allows the seams to nest neatly when it's time to join the blocks. 

Step 4: Repeat to make a total of 36 blocks (4 of each dinosaur print). Make sure you sew on the solid corners in the same order for each block. Blocks should measure 6-1/2" square. 
Step 5: Lay out the blocks into 6 rows of 6 blocks each, noting orientation so the corner colors are in the same position for each block. 

Step 6: Sew the blocks into rows and join the rows to complete the quilt center.

Step 7: Measure the length of the quilt center. Trim (2) 2" x 42" blue egg strips to that length and sew to the sides of the quilt. Measure the width of the quilt center, including the strips just added. Trim (2) 2" x 42" blue egg strips to that length and sew to the top and bottom of the quilt. 

Step 8: Join the 4-1/2" x 36" dino strips (with dinos running vertically up the strip) short ends together into one long strip. Measure the length of the quilt and cut (2) strips to that length. Sew to the sides of the quilt, making sure dinosaurs are right sides up. Sew the remaining 4-1/2" x 28"strips (with dinos running horizontally) together in pairs. Measure the width of the quilt, including the strips just added, and trim strips to that length. Sew to the top and bottom of the quilt, making sure dinosaurs are right sides up.

Step 9: Layer the quilt back right side down, batting, and quilt top right side up. Quilt as desired. Trim layers even with the quilt top and use the (5) 2-1/4" x 42" blue dino egg strips to bind the quilt. 

We love the little diamond pops of color created by the solid corners on the snowball blocks! 

Find the entire Lost World collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop.

Would you like to win a bundle of Lost World fabrics? Leave a comment below (or on IG) telling us your favorite dinosaur (if you can't come up with one, take a peek at the fabrics--they even include dino names!). Giveaway is open through Sunday, July 23rd at 11:59 PM CDT. 

Follow along with our Summer of Sewing Series! 
Click here to see all the tutorials.

Love is a Four Legged Word bundle winner:

tac73

pssst....tac73, we don't have your email address to contact you, so please email us at fabriquiltblog (at) gmail.com. If we don't hear from you by Monday, July 24th, we'll choose a new winner.